Obama team ponders next move in drone memo fight

Apr. 22, 2014
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Anwar al-Awlaki / AP

by David Jackson, USA TODAY

by David Jackson, USA TODAY

The Obama administration has to decide whether to release key portions of a memo on drone strikes or take the issue to the Supreme Court.

A federal appeals court said Monday that the government must release parts of a memo citing the legal rationale for drone strikes that target Americans, specifically terrorism suspect Anwar al-Awlaki during a 2011 attack in Yemen.

Appeals judges ruled in favor of a freedom of information request by The New York Times.

The Obama administration has not said whether it will appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court.

"The unanimous three-judge panel, reversing a lower court decision, said the government had waived its right to keep the analysis secret in light of numerous public statements by administration officials and the Justice Department's release of a 'white paper' offering a detailed analysis of why targeted killings were legal."